TMC leader threatens to chop off Congress activists' hands

Kolkata: A Trinamool Congress leader, who courted controversy during the last Panchayat elections for his hate speech, has threatened to chop off the hands of Congress workers if they tried to damage hoardings of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Anubrata Mandal, the Birbhum district president of TMC, on Wednesday had threatened of severe backlash if Congress activists continued to beat up Trinamool supporters and tear party flags and posters of Banerjee.

"If you (Congress workers) beat up Trinamool supporters and tear flags and posters of our party and Mamata Banerjee, then our supporters will cut off your wrists," he said while addressing a party programme in Burdwan district's Katwa area.

Mandal, who is also Trinamool's observer of Burdwan district, had courted controversy during last Panchayat elections, when he had asked party supporters to burn the houses of Independent candidates (dissident Trinamool supporters) and hurl bombs at policemen if they went to rescue the candidates.

However, a day after Mandal's hate speech, he was seen sharing dais during a press conference with Trinamool general secretary Mukul Roy and party's MP from Birbhum, Shatabdi Roy.

In that press conference, Amar Ram, vice-chairman of Katwa municipality, which is presently being held by Congress, switched sides to Trinamool.

The state Congress leadership has taken a strong note of Mandal's hate speech and urged the State Election Commission (SEC) to take strong action against him.

"We have written a letter to the SEC asking them to take strong action against Anubrata Mandal for his hate speech against Congress leaders. I just want to ask, is this democracy in Bengal?" state Congress president Pradip Bhattacharya Friday said.

He said such statements from a leader of a ruling party will instigate Trinamool workers to usher in havoc on Congress activists during the upcoming civic polls in various parts of the state.

"The SEC should take strong action against Mandal for the sake of law and order," Bhattacharya added.